01 April 2013

EBONY: Mental Health Disparities Endanger Chicago’s Black Youth

Mental health remains largely absent from public debate across the Black community. This is despite data that show Blacks "are 20% more likely to report having serious psychological distress than Whites" and mental health care disparities are even more pronounced among Black and Latino children.

There has been a national outcry for
increased access to mental health treatment in the wake of the Aurora
and Newtown shootings. But in Chicago—whose gun-violence murder rate last year
was the equivalent of "a Newtown [massacre] every four months"—has seen a steady decrease in funding to mental health programs.

“From 2009 to 2012, state leaders cut roughly $187 million from state-sponsored programs,” according to a report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. That’s just over thirty percent of its mental health budget. Today, Illinois “has the dubious distinction”
of ranking third in the nation when it comes to states with the highest
dollar amounts cut from mental health programs. Further, six of Chicago's twelve mental health care facilities have been closed down by the state, including facilities in the heart of the city's Black community on the South Side.

Comments

Rod, you know there are no mental health needs in the black community; that's what Jesus is for...

at least that's my cynical take on it.

But (in all seriousness) yes, this is an issue that needs to be addressed in the black community in hicago (and in other places like my hometown, Detroit) but there's a serious taboo working here as regards to mental health (read: "seeing the shrink) in the black community.

Very good points Kev! Too many black people have been brainwashed into believing prayer can solve all their problems and challenges. And we have stereotyped doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and counseling as for "white people." No ma'am!